Data programming device, particularly for control of knitting machines

ABSTRACT

A data programming device for the selective control of the needles of a circular or straight bar knitting machine includes a two plane matrix whose points of intersection may be connected by one of several types of diode plug either without a resistor or with a certain value of resistor in series, thereby defining several different types of data, each plug advantageously having means for visually indicating the type of data it defines. The rows and columns are associated with electronic switches to enable interrogation thereof by means of a computer, and a discriminator circuit is provided for identifying the different types of data during interrogation.

United States Patent 1191 Bourgeois June 25, 1974 DATA PROGRAMMING DEVICE,

PARTICULARLY FOR CONTROL OF KNITTING MACHINES [75] Inventor: Norbert Paul Bourgeois, Troyes,

France [73] Assignee: Etudes et Bonneterie S.A., Laussane,

Switzerland 22 Filed: June 26,1972

211 App]. No.: 266,350

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner-Wm. Carter Reynolds Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack 57] ABSTRACT A data programming device for the selective control of the needles of a circular or straight bar knitting ma- .Iuly l, 1971 Switzerland 9703/71 chine includes a two plane matnx whose points of 1n- 52 us. 01. 66/50 R 340/173 R tersectio" may be by one several types 51 1" 1m. c1 b041, 15/78 dide Plug either Without a resistor or with a certain 58 Field of Search 340/173 SP 173 R- value of resistor in Series thereby defining Several 66/50 R 5 A ferent types of data, each plug advantageously having means for visually indicating the type of data it de- [56] References Cited fines. The rows and columns are associated with electronic switches to enable interrogation thereof by UNITED STATES PATENTS means of a computer, and a discriminator circuit is redwm eta] b 3 5 provided for identifying the different types of data ee 3,504,132 3/1970 Wallace, Jr. 340/173 R durmg mtermganon 1 3,611,319 10/1971 Hyatt 340/173 SP 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures p 21 A... i 0 y l i a .y

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I V5 6 B 0 1 I DATA PROGRAMMING DEVICE, PARTICULARLY FOR CONTROL OF KNITTING MACHINES The invention concerns data programming devices particularly for the selective control of knitting elements, such as needles or associated accessories of knitting machines, of the type comprising a two-plane matrix including conducting rows and columns adapted to be connected together at their points of intersection by means of movable conducting elements, and means for interrogating the matrix.

On such knitting machines which may be circular or straight bar knitting machines, the provision of patterned knitting and more particularly knitting with colored designs requires the employment of programs carrying data for the individual control of the elements to be selected by means of selector members such as electro-magnets acting during operation of the machine.

Numerous types of programs are used, including tapes or films carrying a series of longitudinal data tracks which continuously move in front of reading means detecting the data passing by with a view to transmitting it to the selector members.

The advantage of such programs is to enable the knitting of designs having a very large area. However, apart from the difficulty of providing programs for large knitted designs, when they are being made they generally require the provision of a particular arrangement of the data thus excluding any possibility of visually controlling the model to be reproduced.

To provide designs of smaller area, it is advantageous to rely upon programming matrices withwhich the operator can directly display the different points corresponding to the model pattern without the aid of an appropriate code.

Most known matrices have two series of parallel conductor members, namely a series of rows and a series of columns disposed transversally to the rows and in a different plane, in a manner to form a grid. Facing each point of intersection, these conducting members have a perforation able to receive a movable plug, generally equipped with a diode, which enables the setting up of a contact between each row and column for the unidirectional flow of an electric current.

Each point of the matrix is interrogated and, according to the presence or absence of a plug, it is possible to define two distinct types of data.

The provision of certain contextures such as knitting having designs in several colors implies, for each point of the design corresponding to one stitch, as many types of available data as the number of colors in the design to be reproduced. Such matrices with two planes are thus insufficient for programming knitting with designs in three or more colors.

One solution is to use several two-plane matrices. In addition to the large number of circuits required, this solution notably complicates the operators task since, as the moment of display, he must take into account that each matrix corresponds to only two colors of the model.

Another solution is to provide a single matrix including several planes of superimposed columns. Despite the fact that such matrices enable a visual control of the program compared to the design to be reproduced, use thereof is made very delicate by the complexity of the means employed corresponding to each plane and notable the necessity of providing certain conducting plugs with one or several insulating sleeves, in a manner to avoid any risk of unintended contact with the columns of certain planes. 7

An object of the invention is to provide a data programming device, particularly for the selective control of knitting elements such as needles or associated accessories of knitting machines of the circular or straight bar type, which obviates the above drawbacks.

According to the invention, a data programming device comprises a two-plane matrix including series of conducting rows and columns crossing at points of intersection, means for connecting the rows and columns at said points of intersection including a plurality of movable conducting elements having different characteristics and defining several different types of data, means for interrogating the matrix, and means for identifying said difierent types of data during interrogation of the matrix.

The accompanying drawings schematically show, by way of example, an embodiment of a device according to the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the two-plane matrix of the device as well as a part of the circuits associated therewith; and

FIGS. 2 to 4 are diagrams showing three possible cases of operation of the device of FIG. I.

The programming matrix of the device of FIG. 1 comprises a first plane composed of to conducting rows Y1, Y2, Y3 Ym having one of their ends connected, via input resistors r and a common conducting lead 1, to a source of electric current supplying a voltage Ve.

The opposite end of each row Y is connected on the one hand to an electronic switch 21, 22, 23 etc and, on the other hand, via a diode d d d etc to a common conducting lead 2 whose end is grounded via an output resistor Rs. Lead 2 is also connected to the inputs of an analog voltage discriminator circuit 3, with three digital outputs A, B and C.

The second plane of the matrix is composed of n conducting columns x x x x,,, disposed transversely to the rows Y and each connected to an electronic switch 31, 32, 33 etc. The switches of both the columns X and the rows Y are grounded.

The number of points of intersection of the different rows and columns represent the programming capacity of the matrix. Each point of intersection has a socket for receiving a movable conductor element setting up a contact between the corresponding row and column, this element being formed by a diode plug 4 which can be of one of three types, in order to provide several possible different types of data. The three plug types include a single diode D only (FIG. 3); a diode D and a resistor R of a certain value connected in series (FIG. 4); or a diode D and a resistor R having a value different to R connected in series. These different types of plugs 4 carry identification means such as a symbol, number, letter, shape or color facilitating recognition thereof by the operator.

Assuming that the matrix is to be used for the programming, the matrix is programmed by assigning one color to each possible type of data at the points of intersection of the matrix, so that color No 1 corresponds to the absence of a plug, color No 2 to plugs with a single diode D, color No 3 to plugs with a diode D and a resistor R and color No 4 to plugs with a diode D and a resistor R The state of a row or column signifies that this row or column is at ground potential. The associated electronic switch is thus closed.

The I state of a row or column signifies that no current can pass along the portion of the row or column in which the open electronic switch is placed.

Three of the four possible cases encountered during interrogation of the different points of intersection of the matrix are schematically shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the four cases being:

1. No plug Color No 1 (FIG. 2)

The voltage Vs available at the terminals of the resistor Rs is proportional to the current I supplied by Ve via r, d and Rs.

2. Plug 4 with a single diode D Color No 2 (FIG. 3)

The totality of the current I; supplied by Ve is bypassed to earth via r and D. No current flows through d and Rs, and Vs is therefore at earth potential.

3. Plug 4 with diode D and resistor R Color No 3 (FIG. 4)

Part of the current 1,, supplied by Ve through r passes through R and another part through d and Rs. The current flowing through d and Rs thus has a different value to 1;, since it is a fraction of I I 4. Plug 4 with diode D and resistor R Color No 4 This case, not shown, is similar to the preceding case but the current flowing through d and Rs has a different value because R; has a different value to R The voltage Vs available at the terminals of the resistor Rs thus has a different value in each of the four possible cases.

This voltage Vs is compared to three standard voltages V V V in the analog voltage discriminator 3.

The digital outputs A, B, C of the discriminator define a code, associated with each of these cases, as follows:

A B C Color No. l l l l Color No. 2 O 0 0 Color No. 3 l 0 0 Color No. 4 l l 0 For example, to program the needles of a rotary bed circular knitting machine with 32 knitting stations to knit a four-color design, supposing that the number of needles on the machine is divisible by the number of systems, the programming device can be used in associated with the machine in the following manner.

The 32 knitting stations of the machine are divided into eight groups of four stations each corresponding to a supply of yarn of one of the four colors of the design. During knitting, for each of the 32 needles that are simultaneously presented in front of the selecting members associated with the thirty two knitting stations, an order corresponding to actuation or non-actuation must be given according to a color determined by the corresponding point of intersection of the matrix. Interrogation of the matrix takes place through actuation of electronic switches controlled by a computer (not shown), the operating of whose various sequences is closely associated with that of the machine.

The matrix, interrogated by the computer, supplies 32 binary words (of three bits A B C) associated with 32 of the machines needles.

Moreover, the 32 knitting stations are coded according to their yam supply in the same manner as that of the selector outlets.

The outputs A, B, C are compared in a digital manner to the bits of the code of the knitting stations and the result of the comparison determines the actuation or non-actuation for each coded needle. In the case where the number of needles on the machine cannot be divided evenly by the number of systems, i.e. where there are not 32 orders to distribute simultaneously, it is sufficient if the computer controlling the interrogation of the matrix and the transmission of the orders received takes into account these phase displacements.

By providing a greater number of discrete different values of the resistors R connected in series with certain of the diode plugs, it is possible, with a two-plane programming matrix, to define a greater number of different types of data which can be identified by a single discriminator circuit.

What is claimed is:

l. A two plane matrix data programming system particularly adapted for selective control of knitting elements such as needles or associated knitting machine accessories used for the creation of multicolored patterns using more than two colors in a knitting machine, said data programming system comprising: a series of conducting rows defining a first plane; a series of conducting columns perpendicular to said series of conducting rows and defining a seond plane parallel to and in overlapping relation to said first plane, said conducting rows and columns crossing at a plurality of points of intersection, said points of intersection each corresponding to a knitting loop; a plurality of movable current conducting members having various preselected conduction characteristics and connecting selected conducting rows and columns at certain points of intersection whereby data representing any one of more than two catagories of information corresponding to more than two different types of loops may be stored at each of said points of intersection; interrogation means operatively coupled to each of said points of intersection for detennining the state of each of said points of intersection including whether the row and column at a point of intersection are connected by a movable conducting member, the absence thereof indicating a first preselected state, and if the row and column is connected, determining the magnitude of the current carried by the specific movable conducting member; and means for identifying the plurality of data catagories respectively stored at said points of intersection, said identifying means operatively coupled to said interrogation means.

2. A programming system according to claim 1, in which the movable conducting members are comprised of diode plugs.

3. A programming system according to claim 1 wherein the movable conducting members are comprised of diode plugs and a resistor of a preselected value connected in series with the diode.

II! l 

1. A two plane matrix data programming system particularly adapted for selective control of knitting elements such as needles or associated knitting machine accessories used for the creation of multicolored patterns using more than two colors in a knitting machine, said data programming system comprising: a series of conducting rows defining a first plane; a series of conducting columns perpendicular to said series of conducting rows and defining a seond plane parallel to and in overlapping relation to said first plane, said conducting rows and columns crossing at a plurality of points of intersection, said points of intersection each corresponding to a knitting loop; a plurality of movable current conducting members having various preselected conduction characteristics and connecting selected conducting rows and columns at certain points of intersection whereby data representing any one of more than two catagories of information corresponding to more than two different types of loops may be stored at each of said points of intersection; interrogation means operatively coupled to each of said points of intersection for determining the state of each of said points of intersection including whether the row and column at a point of intersection are connected by a movable conducting member, the absence thereof indicating a first preselected state, and if the row and column is connected, determining the magnitude of the current carried by the specific movable conducting member; and means for identifying the plurality of data catagories respectively stored at said points of intersection, said identifying means operatively coupled to said interrogation means.
 2. A programming system according to claim 1, in which the movable conducting members are comprised of diode plugs.
 3. A programming system according to claim 1 wherein the movable conducting members are comprised of diode plugs and a resistor of a preselected value connected in series with the diode. 